Brown Eyes
by Mondie
Summary: *~Songfic~* Written for Tuffy; Tuffy*Mush. To the tune of "Brown Eyes" by Destiny's Child. Wahooness.


_A/N: I don't own the newsies. I don't own Tuffy ((she owns herself)). I don't own Destiny's Child or this song. I own Chance (she's from my story Ocean Eyes) and I own the way I put the words of the story together. So don't steal it, cuz if you do, Mush will throw a couch on you. Ask Misprint and/or Shade, he's very temperamental when it comes to me and my safety._

Tuffy ~ Here ya go, hun. Thanks for all the reviews. It finally paid off!****

**Brown Eyes**

::Song sung by Destiny's Child on their _Survivor album::****_

            Tuffy smiled as she kissed Mush's slumbering face gently. She felt so safe, so secure in his arms. His eyes slowly fluttered open, and a bright smile lit up his whole face as he tightened his arms around her. He kissed her forehead sweetly, then murmured, "I'se love you." Tuffy smiled and closed her eyes, knowing it was truth and loving him back with all her heart. She thought back to when she'd first met the newsboy who'd steal every moment of her waking thoughts and every second of her nighttime dreams.****

**Remember the first day when I saw your face**

**Remember the first day when you smiled at me**

**You stepped to me, and then you said to me**

**I was the woman you dreamed about**

**Flashback******

            Tuffy wandered through Manhattan. She'd never gone there before. She didn't know anyone, and if she hadn't felt so alone for all of her life, she decided she'd probably be pretty lonesome right about now. Her life hadn't been a beautiful, storybook one.

            But it was over now. She kept having to tell herself that as she walked around, getting more and more lost. New York City was a big, bustling place, and it boggled her mind just to look around.

            She found herself in a square presently. There was a statue of a man sitting with his hands on his legs in the middle of it, and about twenty dirty, scruffy boys were gathered around it. They were playing marbles, or cards, or sword-fighting, and all looked like they were having a grand time. She recognized some of them from that morning, and figured that they were the newsies of the city; some had tried to sell her papers, while smiling at her, but when they figured out she didn't have any money, they'd all turned away, the smiles gone.

            She stood back, away from the boys, but watched them in their play. They looked like they were having such a good time. Tuffy liked to watch children playing with their friends in the streets: it was as if she herself could live their friendships through them, and therefore not be so alone.

            She felt eyes on her, and turned slightly to her left. There were two boys standing a little ways away, just as filthy as all the others. One had shiny dark blond hair and an eyepatch, and one – the one staring at Tuffy – had brown, curly hair. The one with an eyepatch looked over at her then too, and then looked at his companion. Grinning, Eyepatch Boy elbowed his friend, nudging him towards her.

            The curly-headed boy looked a bit uneasy as he stepped forward, but he looked into her eyes when he finally made the distance. "I'se seen ya befoah," he said quietly.

            She sighed to herself, preparing to turn and run. He'd probably seen her in Little Italy the day before, when she stole that bread and nearly got caught by the coppers.

            He reached out and took her hand, and then grinned at her. "You's da goil dat I dream about."****

**Remember the first day when you took me out**

**We had butterflies although we tried to hide it**

**And we both had a beautiful night**

            "C'mon, Tuffy!" Mush shouted a week later, and though he was at the bottom of the stairs, she could hear the amusement in his voice. "It can't be DAT bad."

            She grimaced to herself, looking in the mirror again. She didn't look good enough. She'd never look good enough for him! She felt the butterflies fluttering nonstop through her stomach.

            She looked over at Chance, who had a bemused expression on her face. "You'se look gorgeous," Chance promised. With her cheerful demeanor, Chance had quickly become one of Tuffy's best friends after she'd joined the girls' Lodging House. "Now go, befoah 'e leaves ya heah!"

            Sighing, Tuffy walked down the creaky wooden stairs. When she got to the bottom, she lifted her eyes and saw Mush, looking as amazing as always. He smiled at her, and his look was one that matched hers: nervousness. Though they'd known each other for a little while now, they still tiptoed around. And on this, their first date, things seemed twice as worse.

            Particularly with all the girls in the lodging house watching them.

            Mush reached out and caught her hand, and they silently left the establishment. The girls left waited until the door had closed, then scampered to it, peering out at the two as they walked away.****

**The way we held each other's hand**

**The way we talked, the way we laughed**

**It felt so good to find true love**

**I knew right then and there you were the one**

            Their first date was turning out to be magical. Both felt it, and neither needed to label it. Mush loved how when he'd squeeze her hand, her fingers would instantly squeeze back. Things had relaxed, and as they joked, laughed, and talked to the other newsies they ran into on their stroll, Tuffy began to realize just how much she loved being around Mush. They were learned in different areas, but still, they had many of the same opinions.

            When the night finally drew to a close, the pair – disappointed that the night was over, but ecstatic at how well it'd gone – reluctantly said goodnight. Mush kissed her cheek, and asked her quietly if they would be going out again.

            She was pretty sure her smile was answer enough, but she still nodded as she went inside. She couldn't speak, because it would ruin the perfect moment. All the girls were waiting up for her, and they all scrambled upstairs and sat around her bunk as she told them all about it.****

**Remember the first day, the first day we kissed**

            That weekend, a large group of boys decided they wanted to go to Irving Hall. They'd been saving up for some time to afford the ritzy theatre, and Mush invited Tuffy to be his date.

            Mush seemed rather relaxed, particularly compared to his counterpart, Kid Blink, who nearly had a hernia every time Medda came onstage. Tuffy, however, theorized that this probably was largely in part because she was there. Had she been absent, she was willing to bet Racetrack that Mush would have been dangling off the balcony with Blink in a second.

            Tuffy watched some of the Vaudeville acts, then turned and found Mush watching her instead of the stage. "Why ain't you watchin' da show?" she asked, smiling lightly at him as she leaned closer.

            Mush shrugged. "I'd much raddah watch you's, I s'pose," he answered. "You'se more beautiful dan any a' dose goils on stage eveh could be."

            Tuffy couldn't hide the smile that creased her face. "You'se so great ta me, Mush," she said.

            Mush bit his lower lip, then nodded. "Dat's cuz _you'se great. How else would I treatcha?" he asked, still biting his lower lip. She watched him biting it, and then realized that she too was biting hers. Giggling a little, she brazenly decided to be bold. Leaning forward, she kissed him sweetly._

            He seemed a little surprised at first, then relaxed and kissed her back.

            It was a night neither would forget.****

**Remember the first day we had an argument**

**We apologized and then we compromised**

**And we haven't argued since**

            "I'se want to go along," Tuffy said demandingly a week later, glaring across the tabletop in Tibby's restaurant.

            "No, Tuffy!" Mush shouted back, his eyes glaring back.

            Racetrack and Chance, who were sitting at the table too, raised eyebrows at each other and in a compromised silent agreement, both got up and edged away.

            "You's so stubboin! I hate dat!" Tuffy told him, turning away and crossing her arms over her chest in a very final way. "I'se comin'."

            "No! It's jus' gonna be me an' Blink. You'se stay heah wit' da goils. Harlem ain't NO place fer you!" With that, Mush stood up and walked from the table.

            "Fine! Leave me heah! I don' care!" she screamed at his retreating back.

            "Fine!" he yelled back, exiting the restaurant.

            As soon as he was gone, it felt as if her chest were seizing up. She couldn't believe he'd really left. Morosely, she stood up from the table and walked outside. She saw Mush's retreating figure, with Kid Blink at his side. His shoulders were slumped, and she wondered if he was feeling the same way she was.

            The rest of the day she was miserable, and the days that passed while the boys were in Harlem were the longest she'd ever known. Every spare second of her time was spent thinking of Mush, until she was nearly sick with the way she'd acted. His absence was like a knife twisting in her back.

            Luckily, Tuffy was the first one to see the two boys upon their return. Kid Blink was bursting with stories, but Mush only had his eyes peeled for her. When he saw her, a big relieved grin came over his face. The two ran to each other and hugged. "I'se sorry," they said at the same time, and then laughed.

            There were never any other arguments heard between them.****

**Remember the first day we stopped playing games**

**Remember the first day you fell in love with me**

**It felt so good for you say those words**

**'Cause I felt the same way, too**

**The way we held each other's hand**

**The way we talked, the way we laughed**

**It felt so good to fall in love**

**And I knew right then and there you were the one**

            That night, the duo sat in the front room of the Newsboys' Lodging House. Skittery and Specs were the only other two in the room, and they were joking with Kloppman. Nobody paid Tuffy and Mush any mind.

            They were sitting on a beat-up old loveseat with a velvet cover stretched to the ripping point over the ancient springs. Mush had his arm around her shoulders, and she was telling a story, her eyes alive with excitement. With every voice fluctuation she pronounced, his heart raced just a bit more. He looked into her dark brown eyes and was taken aback by the emotions coursing through his veins. For a moment, he could no longer hear her words, just his own shallow breathing as he came to a heart-stopping realization.

            "Mush? Is you a'right?" she asked softly, realizing that his eyes had spaced and he looked rather panicky. Still, she couldn't help but notice just how amazing he was. She'd never felt so strongly about another person in so short a time, in all her life. But she knew that if she were to tell him that, it'd scare him off. And that was the last thing in the world she wanted to do.

            He looked at the way her dark brown ringlets framed her face, the way her caring face was etched in worry for him, how her hands were primly folded in her lap. He loved these things. He loved her little quirks. He loved her smile. He loved… her.

            "I… Tuffy, dis is gonna sound stupid," he said nervously, kicking his feet a little. "But… I loves you."

            Her fabulous smile stretched across her face. "Really?" she asked, her eyes dancing. "I loves you, too. More dan anyt'ing."****

**I'm so happy, so happy that you're in my life**

**And baby, now that you're a part of me**

**You've shown me, shown me the true meaning of love**

**And I know he loves me**

            A year later, the two were still inseparable. It was more strange to see Tuffy without Mush than with him; she was now a stable member of the Manhattan newsies.

            On her eighteenth birthday, Mush took her on a walk through Central Park. The pair sat beneath a tree and then fell silent, taking in the beauty of the scene. They didn't need to talk. Their silence was just as amiable as any conversation.

            Tuffy was watching Racetrack and Chance walking along a path, giggling and joking around, when Mush cleared his throat. She looked over at him and was surprised to see him looking anxious. It had been a long time since he'd looked nervous around her.

            "Tuffy?" he said, swallowing hastily.

            "Yeah, Mush?" she asked, her heart thudding. _Is he going to break up with me? her thoughts wondered. She felt like she'd get sick to her stomach._

            Mush stood up and dusted off his pants, then held out his arms to her. Wondering, she let him help her up. Chance and Racetrack looked over and noticed the pair; Chance waved while Race smiled secretly to himself.

            Mush looked deep into her eyes, then slowly lowered himself down to one knee. Tuffy's mouth fell open as he took her left hand in both of his. "Tuffy, will you'se marry me?"

            Tears of joy sprang to her eyes, and she found her voice was gone and she could only nod. Mush grinned, and he teared up as well. Jumping to his feet, he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a simple golden band. "I'se been savin' up fereveh," he said, sliding it onto her finger. "I'se sorry it ain't betteh, but…"

            Tuffy threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed him long and hard. "I'se don' care. I'se love it, Mush. An' I'se love you."

            "I loves you moah," Mush said, his eyes crinkling at the corners with his joyful grin.

            Chance's eyes widened much as Tuffy's did. She turned to Race, who wore a full-blown grin. "Did dey jus'…" She trailed off, turning her head back to the couple.

            "It's about time," Race answered, casually looping his arm through hers and leading her in the opposite direction. "All a' us guys was wonderin' when 'e'd get aroun' ta it."****

**I know that he loves me 'cause he told me so**

**I know that he loves me 'cause his feelings show**

**When he stares at me, you see he cares for me**

**You see how he is so deep in love**

**I know that he loves me 'cause it's obvious**

**I know that he loves me 'cause it's me he trusts**

**And he's missing me if he's not kissing me**

And when he looks at me, his brown eyes tell his soul 

The morning after their wedding, Tuffy smiled as she kissed Mush's slumbering face gently. She felt so safe, so secure in his arms. His eyes slowly fluttered open, and a bright smile lit up his whole face as he tightened his arms around her. He kissed her forehead sweetly, then murmured, "I'se love you." Tuffy smiled and closed her eyes, knowing it was truth and loving him back with all her heart.****

**He looks at me and his brown eyes tell his soul.**


End file.
